DOCSLIB.ORG

Insights Into the Procurement and Distribution of Fossiliferous Chert Artefacts Across Southern Australia from the Archival Record

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Insights Into the Procurement and Distribution of Fossiliferous Chert Artefacts Across Southern Australia from the Archival Record AUSTRALIAN ARCHAEOLOGY 2019, VOL. 85, NO. 2, 170–183 https://doi.org/10.1080/03122417.2019.1657320 ARTICLE Insights into the procurement and distribution of fossiliferous chert artefacts across southern Australia from the archival record Ingrid Warda , Marcus M. Key Jr.b , Rosine Rierac, Annie Carsond and Michael O’Learyc aSchool of Social Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia; bDepartment of Earth Sciences, Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA, USA; cDepartment of Earth Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia; dWestern Australian Museum, Welshpool, Australia ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY Following from previous research in Western Australia, this study explores the use of Received 2 February 2019 embedded microfossils—including bryozoan and foraminiferal fossil assemblages—to help Accepted 15 August 2019 identify source and distribution of fossiliferous chert artefacts from South Australian archives. KEYWORDS Artefacts from key archaeological sites include Allen’s Cave, Koonalda Cave, Wilson’s Bluff, Fossiliferous chert; sourcing; Ooldea and Kongarong. Preliminary analyses indicate a possible differentiation of fossiliferous microfossils; mobility; chert types east and west of the Eyre Peninsula, from Otway Basin and Eucla Basin limestones, South Australia respectively. The widespread distribution and trade of fossiliferous chert is supported by ethnographic descriptions of the sources, procurement and trade as recorded by Daisy Bates, Thomas Draper Campbell and Norman Tindale. Further work combining biostratigraphy and lithology with archaeology and ethnography is needed to explore these ideas further. Background of the WA Museum Archives have already revealed examples of fossiliferous chert artefacts from regions Chert, or flint as it is often synonymously termed, much further north and east than initially assumed has been used for making stone tools for thousands ’ of years, being associated with the earliest fossil (Key et al. 2019;OLeary et al. 2017;Wardetal. remains in Africa (Hershkovitz et al. 2018) through 2019). At the same time, preliminary studies of diag- to small, fine artefacts in the Neolithic and later nostic fossil bryozoan assemblages within samples of periods of France and England (Beasley 1984; chert debitage from southwest Western Australia Cunliffe 2001:89–90). It has also been used in more demonstrated that the source could not be offshore recent times for industrial and armament purposes in the Perth Basin as previously purported (Glover (e.g. Flint et al. 1989:20). In Australia, chert artefacts 1975a, 1975b) but onshore in the Eucla Basin ’ are documented in several early sites, most notably (O Leary et al. 2017). However, the idea of long-dis- Devil’s Lair (Dortch 1984) and Allen’s Cave (Cane tance trade of fossiliferous chert with Aboriginal 1995; Marun 1972), and also in sites dating to the groups westward continues to be dismissed due to early to mid-Holocene (Beasley 1984; Cann et al. the apparently large distances involved (Dortch and 1999; Coutts 1981; McNiven et al. 2012). Indeed in Dortch 2019; Glover 1975a). This is despite evidence SW Western Australia, fossil-bearing chert has been of trade of this material up to 700 km eastward used, arguably erroneously (see O’Leary et al. 2017), (Bates 1921;Johnston1941; Nicholson and Cane as a chronological divide between early to mid- 1991; see also Bourman et al. 2016:167; Ward et al. Holocene age sites (Dortch 1986; Dortch and 2019), and also the distribution of lithic raw materi- McArthur 1985; Glover et al. 1993; Hallam 1987; als, edge-ground axes, wooden items, ochre and baler Marwick 2002; Smith 1993). shell hundreds of kilometres over much of Australia More important than the chronological context is (see McBryde 1997;Muntetal.2018:79 the spatial context of chert-bearing archaeological and references). sites and in particular those found inland from Having previously focused on fossiliferous chert coastal sources (Beasley 1984; see also below) as archives from Western Australia, this study explores these imply human dispersal or trade. Investigations the South Australian archival records1 and what this CONTACT Ingrid Ward [email protected] College School of Social Sciences, University of Western Australia, M257 Archaeology, UWA Crawley 6009, Australia 1Attempts were also made to explore the archival record in Victoria. Queries of the Victorian State heritage databases revealed 2889 registered Aboriginal places where chert has been identified across the State. These registers do not discriminate biogenic and non-biogenic chert. Viewing these records is complicated by the need to obtain approval of all registered Aboriginal parties, as well as the approval of the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council (VAHC). Hence it was decided just to focus on the South Australian archival collections for this study. ß 2019 Australian Archaeological Association AUSTRALIAN ARCHAEOLOGY 171 Figure 1. Location of sites and basins mentioned in the text. might also reveal about the use and distribution of Terminology this diagnostic material. In particular, we focus on the As outlined by Munt et al. (2018) there is some con- records of Norman Tindale, Daisy Bates and Thomas fusion in the use of the terms ‘chert’ and ‘flint’ for Draper Campbell, each of whom recorded and col- microcrystalline or cryptocrystalline silica (e.g. lected chert artefacts from sites along the Eucla coast Luedtke 1992;Whittaker1994:70; see also Sieveking and in other parts of South Australia between 1930 and Hart 1986). In Koonalda Cave, Marun (1972) and late 1960. As part of this investigation we identify identifies flint and ‘numerically insignificant’ quanti- bryozoan fossils on the surface of artefacts from key archaeological sites, including Allen’s Cave, Koonalda ties of chert and limestone, whilst Cane (1995)and ’ Cave, Wilson’s Bluff, Ooldea and a few other sites in Wright (1971) use only the term flint. For the Allen s South Australia (Figure 1). This follows a similar Cave site, Munt et al. (2018:74) use chert for lighter ‘ ’ study undertaken by Benbow and Nicholson (1992), coloured material and flint for denser, blacker who also undertook a lithological and microscopic material that is more like the flint from the English comparison of artefacts from the South Australian chalks from which the term derived (e.g. Rapp Museum and Moeller collections with silicified source 2009:76, 79). Glover (1975a) similarly preferred the ‘ ’ material from Wilson’s Bluff, Koonalda Cave and term chert over the unsatisfactorily defined flint to Head of the Bight. Whilst distinct lithologies were describe artefacts from SW Western Australia, observed in each of the source materials, and in par- including Devils Lair. In the Lake Condah region of ticular the presence of relict bryozoan clasts in the Victoria however, McNiven et al. (2012:50) differenti- Wilson Bluff Limestone, it was found that the vari- ate (non-fossiliferous) chert from cherts that ‘contain ation in degree of silicification precluded provenanc- microfossils consistent with flint’. ing artefacts to any of these particular sources Both chert and flint are formed by diagenetic (Benbow and Nicholson 1992). We argue that the replacement of carbonate by silica under high pres- identification of the embedded fossils is the key to sure by burial beneath the seafloor. Flint is generally provenancing fossiliferous chert artefacts. We preface reserved for material which has originated from this discussion with a brief consideration of the ter- chalk deposits (or marl) and chert for material from minology and stratigraphic context of chert-bearing limestone deposits, the latter usually formed from limestones along the southern coastline of Australia. the skeletons of organisms with a calcium carbonate 172 I. WARD ET AL. biomineralogical structure. This explains the foraminifera (James and Bone 1991;O’Connell et al. description of ‘silicified limestone’—or more specif- 2012). According to Benbow and Nicholson (1992:3), ically ‘silicified bryozoan limestone’—by Benbow the younger Miocene limestone has been locally silici- and Nicholson (1992) for artefacts from the fied in groundwater environments around the mar- Nullarbor Plain. Similarly, in SW Western Australia, gins of the Nullarbor Plain, such as in the Yarle Glover (1974, 1975b; see also Martin 1982) makes Lakes—Ooldea area. Further east is the Upper Eocene the distinction between ‘fossiliferous cryptocrystal- to Middle Miocene Gambier Limestone within the line chert’ and ‘palaeontologically barren’ chert. Gambier and Otway Basins, which also contains fos- Indeed Martin (1982) suggests there may be up to siliferous chert (Blakemore et al. 2014; Bourman et al. five types of chert in SW Western Australia, differ- 2016). The latter outcrops east of Naracoorte scarp entiated by presence/absence, type and abundance and in coastal areas near Mount Gambier (Sexton of embedded fossil species. Hence the more descrip- 1965). Eocene chert and silica-rich rocks have also tive terminology, rather than simply chert, is been observed in the Bremer Basin and in the St important in terms of characterising the use and Vincent Basin (Li et al. 2000). provenance of these silicified artefacts. Here we fol- Fossiliferous chert occurs as horizontal seams within ’ low Glover s(1975a, 1975b) example and use the these limestone sequences, which are present along term fossiliferous chert to describe archival samples. coastal cliffs (Figure 2) and in some cave profiles.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Characterizing Late Pleistocene and Holocene Stone Artefact Assemblages from Puritjarra Rock Shelter: a Long Sequence from the Australian Desert
    © Copyright Australian Museum, 2006 Records of the Australian Museum (2006) Vol. 58: 371–410. ISSN 0067-1975 Characterizing Late Pleistocene and Holocene Stone Artefact Assemblages from Puritjarra Rock Shelter: A Long Sequence from the Australian Desert M.A. SMITH National Museum of Australia, GPO Box 1901, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia [email protected] ABSTRACT. This paper presents the first detailed study of a large assemblage of late Pleistocene artefacts from the central desert. Analysis of the lithics shows show that Puritjarra rock shelter was used more intensively over time, with significant shifts in the character of occupation at 18,000, 7,500 and 800 B.P., reflecting significant re-organization of activities across the landscape. The same generalized flake and core technology appears to have been used for over 30 millennia with only limited change in artefact typology over this period. SMITH, M.A., 2006. Characterizing Late Pleistocene and Holocene stone artefact assemblages from Puritjarra rock shelter: a long sequence from the Australian Desert. Records of the Australian Museum 58(3): 371–410. Excavations at Puritjarra rock shelter provide a rare 2004). Ethno-archaeological studies involving the last opportunity to examine an assemblage of late Pleistocene generation of Aboriginal people to rely on stone artefacts artefacts from central Australia, dating as early as c. 32,000 have been very influential in this shift in perspective (Cane, B.P. This study presents a quantitative analysis of the flaked 1984, 1992; Gould, 1968; Gould et al., 1971; Hayden, 1977, stone artefacts at Puritjarra, comparing the Pleistocene and 1979; O’Connell, 1977).
    [Show full text]
  • Broken Hill Complex
    Broken Hill Complex Bioregion resources Photo Mulyangarie, DEH Broken Hill Complex The Broken Hill Complex bioregion is located in western New South Wales and eastern South Australia, spanning the NSW-SA border. It includes all of the Barrier Ranges and covers a huge area of nearly 5.7 million hectares with approximately 33% falling in South Australia! It has an arid climate with dry hot summers and mild winters. The average rainfall is 222mm per year, with slightly more rainfall occurring in summer. The bioregion is rich with Aboriginal cultural history, with numerous archaeological sites of significance. Biodiversity and habitat The bioregion consists of low ranges, and gently rounded hills and depressions. The main vegetation types are chenopod and samphire shrublands; casuarina forests and woodlands and acacia shrublands. Threatened animal species include the Yellow-footed Rock- wallaby and Australian Bustard. Grazing, mining and wood collection for over 100 years has led to a decline in understory plant species and cover, affecting ground nesting birds and ground feeding insectivores. 2 | Broken Hill Complex Photo by Francisco Facelli Broken Hill Complex Threats Threats to the Broken Hill Complex bioregion and its dependent species include: For Further information • erosion and degradation caused by overgrazing by sheep, To get involved or for more information please cattle, goats, rabbits and macropods phone your nearest Natural Resources Centre or • competition and predation by feral animals such as rabbits, visit www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au
    [Show full text]
  • Evaluation of the Coastal Inundation and Erosion Process in the Mid-West Coast of Western Australia
    Faculty of Science and Engineering School of Civil and Mechanical Engineering Evaluation of the coastal inundation and erosion process in the Mid-West coast of Western Australia Withanage Sajantha Lakmali Perera This thesis is presented for the Degree of Master of Philosophy (Civil Engineering) of Curtin University September 2016 Abstract At present the coastal inundation and erosion is a major problem all around the world and this issue will be more severe in the future due to sea level rise. Australia has a long coastline around the country, thus it focus on the coastal vulnerability due to sea level rise. Taking these facts into account, this research was focused on the evaluation of the coastal inundation and erosion process in the Mid-West coast of Western Australia. Within the Mid-West region, a seventy five kilometre stretch was selected for the study. The major highlight of this research is the integrated modelling approach and the result of the modelling carried out for evaluation of the coastal inundation and erosion process. Widely used coastal model, MIKE 21 was selected as the dynamic model for the study. As data plays very important part for this research, an intensive data collection campaign was conducted to collect the required data. Bathymetry data, coastal boundary data, topography data, wave, water levels and wind data, were collected using discrete data sources from variety of government, local and private organizations. Extreme value analysis for water levels, wind and wave was done using Gumbel and Weibull distributions. The final results of the inundation and erosion extends have been presented in terms of spatial maps.
    [Show full text]
  • A Guide to the Birds of Barrow Island
    A Guide to the Birds of Barrow Island Operated by Chevron Australia This document has been printed by a Sustainable Green Printer on stock that is certified carbon in joint venture with neutral and is Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) mix certified, ensuring fibres are sourced from certified and well managed forests. The stock 55% recycled (30% pre consumer, 25% post- Cert no. L2/0011.2010 consumer) and has an ISO 14001 Environmental Certification. ISBN 978-0-9871120-1-9 Gorgon Project Osaka Gas | Tokyo Gas | Chubu Electric Power Chevron’s Policy on Working in Sensitive Areas Protecting the safety and health of people and the environment is a Chevron core value. About the Authors Therefore, we: • Strive to design our facilities and conduct our operations to avoid adverse impacts to human health and to operate in an environmentally sound, reliable and Dr Dorian Moro efficient manner. • Conduct our operations responsibly in all areas, including environments with sensitive Dorian Moro works for Chevron Australia as the Terrestrial Ecologist biological characteristics. in the Australasia Strategic Business Unit. His Bachelor of Science Chevron strives to avoid or reduce significant risks and impacts our projects and (Hons) studies at La Trobe University (Victoria), focused on small operations may pose to sensitive species, habitats and ecosystems. This means that we: mammal communities in coastal areas of Victoria. His PhD (University • Integrate biodiversity into our business decision-making and management through our of Western Australia)
    [Show full text]
  • The Aurignacian Viewed from Africa
    Aurignacian Genius: Art, Technology and Society of the First Modern Humans in Europe Proceedings of the International Symposium, April 08-10 2013, New York University THE AURIGNACIAN VIEWED FROM AFRICA Christian A. TRYON Introduction 20 The African archeological record of 43-28 ka as a comparison 21 A - The Aurignacian has no direct equivalent in Africa 21 B - Archaic hominins persist in Africa through much of the Late Pleistocene 24 C - High modification symbolic artifacts in Africa and Eurasia 24 Conclusions 26 Acknowledgements 26 References cited 27 To cite this article Tryon C. A. , 2015 - The Aurignacian Viewed from Africa, in White R., Bourrillon R. (eds.) with the collaboration of Bon F., Aurignacian Genius: Art, Technology and Society of the First Modern Humans in Europe, Proceedings of the International Symposium, April 08-10 2013, New York University, P@lethnology, 7, 19-33. http://www.palethnologie.org 19 P@lethnology | 2015 | 19-33 Aurignacian Genius: Art, Technology and Society of the First Modern Humans in Europe Proceedings of the International Symposium, April 08-10 2013, New York University THE AURIGNACIAN VIEWED FROM AFRICA Christian A. TRYON Abstract The Aurignacian technocomplex in Eurasia, dated to ~43-28 ka, has no direct archeological taxonomic equivalent in Africa during the same time interval, which may reflect differences in inter-group communication or differences in archeological definitions currently in use. Extinct hominin taxa are present in both Eurasia and Africa during this interval, but the African archeological record has played little role in discussions of the demographic expansion of Homo sapiens, unlike the Aurignacian. Sites in Eurasia and Africa by 42 ka show the earliest examples of personal ornaments that result from extensive modification of raw materials, a greater investment of time that may reflect increased their use in increasingly diverse and complex social networks.
    [Show full text]
  • Developing Impact-Based Thresholds for Coastal Inundation from Tide Gauge Observations
    CSIRO PUBLISHING Journal of Southern Hemisphere Earth Systems Science, 2019, 69, 252–272 https://doi.org/10.1071/ES19024 Developing impact-based thresholds for coastal inundation from tide gauge observations Ben S. HagueA,B,C, Bradley F. MurphyA, David A. JonesA and Andy J. TaylorA ABureau of Meteorology, GPO Box 1289, Melbourne, Vic. 3001, Australia. BSchool of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment, Monash University, Clayton, Vic., Australia. CCorresponding author. Email: [email protected] Abstract. This study presents the first assessment of the observed frequency of the impacts of high sea levels at locations along Australia’s northern coastline. We used a new methodology to systematically define impact-based thresholds for coastal tide gauges, utilising reports of coastal inundation from diverse sources. This method permitted a holistic consideration of impact-producing relative sea-level extremes without attributing physical causes. Impact-based thresh- olds may also provide a basis for the development of meaningful coastal flood warnings, forecasts and monitoring in the future. These services will become increasingly important as sea-level rise continues.The frequency of high sea-level events leading to coastal flooding increased at all 21 locations where impact-based thresholds were defined. Although we did not undertake a formal attribution, this increase was consistent with the well-documented rise in global sea levels. Notably, tide gauges from the south coast of Queensland showed that frequent coastal inundation was already occurring. At Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, impact-based thresholds were being exceeded on average 21.6 and 24.3 h per year respectively. In the case of Brisbane, the number of hours of inundation annually has increased fourfold since 1977.
    [Show full text]
  • Evolution and Deformation of the Onshore Eucla Basin During the Cenozoic
    Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum RECORD 2016/10 EVOLUTION AND DEFORMATION OF THE ONSHORE EUCLA BASIN DURING THE CENOZOIC by LC Mounsher Record 2016/10 EVOLUTION AND DEFORMATION OF THE ONSHORE EUCLA BASIN DURING THE CENOZOIC by LC Mounsher Perth 2016 MINISTER FOR MINES AND PETROLEUM Hon. Sean K L’Estrange MLA DIRECTOR GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF MINES AND PETROLEUM Richard Sellers EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA Rick Rogerson REFERENCE The recommended reference for this publication is: Mounsher, LC 2016, Evolution and deformation of the onshore Eucla Basin during the Cenozoic: Geological Survey of Western Australia, Record 2016/10, 70p. National Library of Australia Card Number and ISBN PDF 978-1-74168-695-1 About this publication This Record is an Honours thesis researched, written and compiled as part of a collaborative project between the Geological Survey of Western Australia (GSWA) and Curtin University, Western Australia. Although GSWA has provided support for this project including access to core, the scientific content of the Record, and the drafting of figures, was the responsibility of the author. No editing has been undertaken by GSWA. Disclaimer This product was produced using information from various sources. The Department of Mines and Petroleum (DMP) and the State cannot guarantee the accuracy, currency or completeness of the information. DMP and the State accept no responsibility and disclaim all liability for any loss, damage or costs incurred as a result of any use of or reliance whether wholly or in part upon the information provided in this publication or incorporated into it by reference.
    [Show full text]
  • The Western Australian Naturalist
    THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST Vol. 21 31st December, 1996 No.2 HISTORY OF THE DISAPPEARANCE OF NATIVE FAUNA FROM THE NULLARBOR PLAIN THROUGH THE EYES OF LONG TIME RESIDENT AMY CROCKER By]. D. RICHARDS and JEFF SHORT CSIRO Wildlife & Ecology, LMB No.4 PO Midland Western Australia 6065. The southern coastal region of naturalist, artist and writer, her years Australia was first explored from the of observation provide an account of sea by the Dutch in 1627, the French the region since the early days of inl792, the English in 1802, and finally European settlement, and man's by Edward John Eyre, who made the influence on the environment. first overland crossing of the Mrs Crocker provided an overview of Nullarbor in 1841. Initial settlement her impressions of the changing of the area followed, with Yalata fauna within her surroundings, with Station established by William Swan a brief letter written the year of her in 1858 near Fowler's Bay in South death. Here follows an excerpt of her Australia. Further settlement did not letter, describing the impact of take place until the 1870's with European settlement, from a lifetime Mundrabilla Station in 1871, Moopina of living on the Nullarbor. inl873, Madura in 1876and Balladonia in 1880 (Allen 1987). One of the early settlers of this area, Amy Eda Crocker was born in Albany, "Balladonia Station Western Australia in November 1902, via Norseman W A 6443 and at only seven weeks of age, My grandfather, Stephen Ponton, voyaged along the southern coast to with his brother William and their Point Malcolm at the eastern border partner, John Sharp, were 'the' ofwhatisnowtheCapeArid National pioneers of this district, having driven Park.
    [Show full text]
  • English Cop16 Prop. 6 CONVENTION on INTERNATIONAL
    Original language: English CoP16 Prop. 6 CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES OF WILD FAUNA AND FLORA ____________________ Sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties Bangkok (Thailand), 3-14 March 2013 CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSALS FOR AMENDMENT OF APPENDICES I AND II A. Proposal Delist the extinct Onychogalea lunata from Appendix I in accordance with the Resolution Conf. 9.24 (Rev. CoP15). The species does not meet the biological criteria (Annex 1) and trade criteria (Annex 5) for Appendix I. The precautionary measures referred to in Annex 4 A1 and D are not considered to be required for this proposal. Paragraph 1A requires species listed on Appendix I to be first transferred to Appendix II so that the impact of any trade can be monitored. Australia considers that it is not necessary to first transfer the species to Appendix II as it is extinct, has not been in trade and is never likely to be in trade. Paragraph D states that species regarded as possibly extinct should not be deleted from Appendix I if they may be affected by trade in the event of their rediscovery. Retaining the species on Appendix I with the annotation of ‘possibly extinct’ is not warranted because in the unlikely event of its rediscovery will not be affected by trade. B. Proponent Australia*, as requested by the Animals Committee, to delete the species from Appendix I (AC26 WG1 Doc. 2). C. Supporting statement 1. Taxonomy 1.1 Class: Mammalia 1.2 Order: Diprotodontia 1.3 Family: Macropodidae 1.4 Species: Onychogalea lunata (Gould, 1841) 1.5 Scientific
    [Show full text]
  • A SEISMIC SOURCE ZONE MODEL BASED on NEOTECTONICS DATA. Dan Clark
    A SEISMIC SOURCE ZONE MODEL BASED ON NEOTECTONICS DATA. Dan Clark 1. INTRODUCTION Australia’s rich neotectonic record provides an opportunity to understand the characteristics of intraplate deformation, both at the scale of a single ‘active’ fault and at the scale of the entire continent. Over the last decade our knowledge of Australian intraplate faults has advanced significantly (e.g. Crone et al., 1997, 2003; Clark & McCue, 2003). Herein, six preliminary seismicity source zones spanning continental Australia, and based upon neotectonics data, are proposed. Each source zone contains active faults that share common recurrence and behavioural characteristics, in a similar way that source zones are defined using the historic record of seismicity. The power of this domain approach lies in the ability to extrapolate characteristic behaviours from well-characterised faults (few) to faults about which little is known (many). This data, and conceptual and numerical models describing the nature of the seismicity in each source zone, has the potential to significantly enhance our understanding of seismic hazard in Australia at a time scale more representative than the snapshot provided by the historic record of seismicity. 2. AUSTRALIA’S NEOTECTONIC RECORD Herein, an “active fault” is one which has hosted displacement under conditions imposed by the current Australian crustal stress regime, and hence may move again in the future. Similarly, “neotectonic deformation” is defined as deformation under conditions imposed by the current crustal stress regime. Estimates of 10-5 Ma for the establishment of the current crustal stress regime (e.g. Sandiford et al., 2004) are based upon several lines of evidence.
    [Show full text]
  • Chevron-Shaped Accumulations Along the Coastlines of Australia As Potential Tsunami Evidences?
    CHEVRON-SHAPED ACCUMULATIONS ALONG THE COASTLINES OF AUSTRALIA AS POTENTIAL TSUNAMI EVIDENCES? Dieter Kelletat Anja Scheffers Geographical Department, University of Duisburg-Essen Universitätsstr. 15 D-45141 Essen, Germany e-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT Along the Australian coastline leaf- or blade-like chevrons appear at many places, sometimes similar to parabolic coastal dunes, but often with unusual shapes including curvatures or angles to the coastline. They also occur at places without sandy beaches as source areas, and may be truncated by younger beach ridges. Their dimensions reach several kilometers inland and altitudes of more than 100 m. Vegetation development proves an older age. Judging by the shapes of the chevrons at some places, at least two generations of these forms can be identified. This paper dis- cusses the distribution patterns of chevrons (in particular for West Australia), their various appearances, and the possible genesis of these deposits, based mostly on the interpretations of aerial photographs. Science of Tsunami Hazards, Volume 21, Number 3, page 174 (2003) 1. INTRODUCTION The systematic monitoring of tsunami during the last decades has shown that they are certainly not low frequency events: on average, about ten events have been detected every year – or more than 1000 during the last century (Fig. 1, NGDC, 2001) – many of which were powerful enough to leave imprints in the geological record. Focusing only on the catastrophic events, we find for the last 400 years (Fig. 2, NGDC, 2001) that 92 instances with run up of more than 10 m have occurred, 39 instances with more than 20 m, and 14 with more than 50 m, or – statistically and without counting the Lituya Bay events – one every 9 years with more than 20 m run up worldwide.
    [Show full text]
  • Galahs This Is the Longer Version of an Article to Be Published in Australian Historical Studies in April 2010. Copyright Bill
    Galahs This is the longer version of an article to be published in Australian Historical Studies in April 2010. Copyright Bill Gammage, 3 November 2008. Email [email protected] When Europeans arrived in Australia, galahs were typically inland birds, quite sparsely distributed. Now they range from coast to coast, and are common. Why did this change occur? Why didn’t it occur earlier? Galahs feed on the ground. They found Australia’s dominant inland grasses too tall to get at the seed, so relied on an agency to shorten them: Aboriginal grain cropping before contact, introduced stock after it. *** On 3 July 1817, near the swamps filtering the Lachlan to the Murrumbidgee and further inland than any white person had been, John Oxley wrote, ‘Several flocks of a new description of pigeon were seen for the first time... A new species of cockatoo or paroquet, being between both, was also seen, with red necks and breasts, and grey backs. I mention these birds particularly, as they are the only ones we have yet seen which at all differ from those known on the east coast’ [1]. Allan Cunningham, Oxley’s botanist, also saw the birds. ‘We shot a brace of pigeons of a new species...’, he noted, ‘Some other strange birds were observed (supposed to be Parrots), about the size and flight of a pigeon, with beautiful red breasts’, and next morning, ‘They are of a light ash colour on the back and wings, and have rich pink breasts and heads’ [1]. In the manner of science parrot and pigeon were shot, and within a few months John Lewin in Sydney drew the first known depictions of them [53].
    [Show full text]